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Oct 26: Galatians 1, Deuteronomy 32, Psalm 46

Oct 27: Galatians 2, Deuteronomy 33, Psalm 47

Oct 28: Galatians 3, Deuteronomy 34, Psalm 48

Oct 29:  Galatians 4, Joshua 1, Psalm 49

Oct 30: Galatians 5, Joshua 2, Psalm 50

Oct 31: Galatians 6, Joshua 3, Psalm 51

Nov 1: Ephesians 1, Joshua 4, Psalm 52

Nov 2: Ephesians 2, Joshua 5, Psalm 53

Nov 3: Ephesians 3, Joshua 6, Psalm 54

Nov 4: Ephesians 4, Joshua 7, Psalm 55

Nov 5: Ephesians 5, Joshua 8, Psalm 56

Nov 6: Ephesians 6, Joshua 9, Psalm 57

Nov 7: Philippians 1, Joshua 10, Psalm 58

Nov 8: Philippians 2, Joshua 11, Psalm 59

Mary Oberg Mary Oberg

2 Corinthians 3 - 10.15.26

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."

Observation

We are a reflection of the gospel. Paul says the best proof of God's work is simply our changed lives. How can someone see the fruit of the Spirit if you are not living a Christ-like life?

Application

Asking the Lord to remove my heart of stone and give me a heart like Jesus to see, to love, and to protect just as Jesus did. Spending more time with the Father is the only way to reflect His love.

Prayer 

Lord, take away my heart of stone and give me a heart like Yours. Help me to see, love, and protect people the way You do. Remind me that simply spending time with You is the best way to naturally reflect Your love in my everyday life. Amen.

- Leo Rodriguez

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Mary Oberg Mary Oberg

2 Corinthians 2 - 10.14.26

Scripture: 2 Cor 2:10-11

“Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”

Observation

There was a member in the Corinthian church that had offended the church. After a period of discipline, Paul urges the church to forgive him. Paul reminds the church that we need to forgive so that Satan does not take advantage of us. We are not ignorant of Satan’s schemes. This verse tells us that if we choose to hold a grudge against someone, we are falling into Satan’s schemes.

In a parallel passage, the Bible says, “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Eph 4:26-27). The message of this verse is that if we hold unforgiveness in our hearts, it is the same as giving place to the devil in our hearts. Holding unforgiveness is like setting up a sofa in our heart, inviting the devil to sit on it. 

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught us to pray “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Jesus even said that if we do not forgive others their sins, our Father will not forgive our sins (Matthew 6:15). Jesus said, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25). 

Jesus took this one step further in Matthew 5:24-25. He said, when you come to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that someone has something against you (not that you have something against someone), leave your gift at the altar and go and first be reconciled to your brother, and then come back and offer your gift.

We are called to forgive regardless of whether the offender has apologized. We are called to forgive seven times seven times for the same offense each day (Matt 18:22).

Application

Let us examine our hearts to see if we have any “root of bitterness” in our hearts against anyone, causing ourselves to be defiled (Heb 12:15). Holding unforgiveness does not affect the person who is unforgiven. It affects the person who refuses to forgive.

If someone is continuing to harm us, let us use the wisdom God has given us to be as wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove (Matt 10:16), and take steps to put ourselves out of harm’s way. At the same time, let us guard our hearts against unforgiveness and choose to forgive everyone, no matter how deeply they may have hurt us or how deserving we may feel they are of our resentment.

Let us prayerfully obey the Lord' s commandment, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt 5:44).

Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for loving me and forgiving me of my sins. Thank you for the blood of Jesus which washes me of all sins. Help me to search my heart. If I have unforgiveness in my heart, please show it to me. Help me to forgive those who have hurt me, just how you have forgiven me. I can’t do this on my own, Lord.  Please help me. I can do nothing without you (John 15:5) but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). Help me to forgive and love as you have shown us, so that I can be like my heavenly Father (Matt 5:48). In Jesus’s name. Amen

- Asha Chacko George

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Mary Oberg Mary Oberg

2 Corinthians 1 - 10.13.26

SCRIPTURE:  2 Corinthians 1: 3-4

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

OBSERVATION:

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church at Corinth, and to all the believers who were throughout Achaia. With God’s help, Paul was able to view his afflictions as opportunities to encourage and comfort others who were suffering. 

APPLICATION:

We will all face trials of many kinds, but thank God, when we go through them, He has given us all the benefits that go along with knowing that He is with us. When we are comforted through our trials by God, we receive His strength, peace, endurance, encouragement, and hope that we in turn are able to pass on to others who are going through similar trials.

Life Application Study Bible footnotes:

“The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us.”

“For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.  And our hope for you is firm, because just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort”.  (v 5-7).

PRAYER:

Thank You for being the God of all comfort.  No matter what I’ve faced, You have been with me, and You have come to my aid EVERY SINGLE TIME I have called out to You! I pray as You have comforted and encouraged me through my trials and afflictions, that I will be used by You to bring comfort and encouragement to my brothers and sisters in Christ as they go through their difficult times of trials and afflictions. 

- Robin Orefice

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